NHL a Top-10 Innovative Company in Sports

According to Fast Company, an industry leader magazine which focuses on business, the NHL is #7 on their list of the most innovative companies in sports (NHL.com article, Fast Company article). Fast Company seemed to be impressed with the NHL's Internet presence:

NHL.com: The challenger brand of sports leagues is becoming quite the creative digital-media company. Free from other leagues' restrictions on video, NHL.com shows exclusive off-the-ice footage as well as every goal scored.

The NHL shares the list with only one other sport, Ultimate Championship Fighting. Good for the league to gain some recognition, considering that hockey's fan base can be a very critical one of its own game.

- There is one more reason why to buy the NHL Network, as it plans to simulcast CBC's Hockey Day in Canada, which is coming up this Saturday, February 21st. For those of you who have never seen Hockey Day in Canada Programming, it's very well done and celebrates the game well. This year's HDIC is occurring in Campbellton, New Brunswick and will feature all six Canadian teams in a triple header back to back to back.

Here's the CBC Promo for this years day:



- No details yet on the Phoenix story, once again. Frustrating. More (maybe) later.

- Update: 4:55 PM EST:

More '09-'10 Ticket Price News. I'm not sure how I missed this last week, but the Kings are freezing their season ticket prices for holders. No word yet on single-game ticket prices.

The Hurricanes are offering a great deal to their current Season Ticket Holders, a three year price freeze (obviously with a couple of twists):

By placing a 30 percent deposit on their 2009-10 season tickets now, fans guarantee that their season ticket price will not change for the next three seasons, locking them at their 2008-09 price through the 2011-12 season. In addition, the team has made adjustments to how fans can pay for their season tickets, allowing them to spread their payments over an 11-month, zero-percent-interest plan, where installments will be paid monthly beginning with their deposits in March and extending into January 2010.

They also announced a pay-as-we-play plan for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Good deals all around.